Easily navigating the world is one of the greatest gifts to the modern world. We developed tools to help with that, and one thing stands above all—a map. Throughout history, ancient maps of the world have been invaluable exploration tools. From the artistic designs of medieval maps to the earliest known primitive representations of the globe, these charts offer a glimpse into ancient history and our ancestors' evolving understanding of our planet.
Beyond their practical usefulness, these maps could also considered unusual works of art. The artistry and craftsmanship that created these complex illustrations of our world is something else. Each map is a tribute to the creativity and skill of its maker, offering us a window to see the cultures and societies that existed before us.
Ancient world maps are not just documents of geography but also evidence of human creativity and advancement. With each discovery and technological progress, maps had to be updated. The first map of the world was a starting point, and generations of cartographers improved and expanded upon these early models.
Now, it's your turn to explore these ancient world maps. Delve into the past and marvel at the creativity and artistry of these charts. Share with friends and family, and let them participate in this voyage through time and the world!
#1 Babylonian Imago Mundi
In the sixth century BC, the world's earliest known map was created in Babylon. The map places Babylon in the middle of a region that doesn't go past Mesopotamia's borders. A "bitter river" circles the globe. They thought there was no way to get to the seven points beyond the river.
30points
#2 Johannes Ruysch's Map Of The World
World atlas by Johannes Ruysch, created in 1507. This map displays one of the first representations of the New World.
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28points
#3 Ptolemy's World Map
Ptolemy's world map designed in 150 AD. For the first time in history, longitudinal and latitudinal lines were added to a world map.
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22points
#4 Herodotus Map Of Armenia
The world map was created in the second century BC by Posidonius.
This map broadens the early Greek understanding of the world to include Alexander the Great's discoveries.
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16points
#5 Tabula Peutingeriana
The entire map is very lengthy, stretching from Iberia to India, with Rome serving as the globe's geographic center.
16points
With Ancient World Maps Like These, What Did the People of That Time Think the World Looked Like?
In ancient times, the concept of the world was a combination of geography, cosmology, and cultural beliefs. Old maps of the world show us how people of that time perceived our planet Earth. Before the technology we have to help us today, ancient cultures viewed the world based on elements of mysticism and religious beliefs. For example, there was a time when the theory of a flat Earth was the most scientifically advanced concept.
To further prove how different science was in ancient times, there was also a time when people believed that Earth was the center of the universe. Just like with traditions, cultural diversity influenced scientific beliefs at that time. Which makes you wonder, how did any of the people living at that time reach their desired destination? You'd have to travel back in time and ask them because we have no idea either.
#6 Erdapfel Globe
Martin Behaim constructed a projection of the Erdapfel globe in Germany in 1492. The Erdapfel is the oldest globe that is currently known to exist. It depicts the world as spherical, with uncharted America as an empty ocean.
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16points
#7 Samuel Dunn's Map Of The World
Samuel Dunn's map of the world, drawn in 1794 AD. Dunn was the first to map out the entire world using Captain James Cook's discoveries as his guide.
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16points
#8 World Map By Isidore Of Seville
Isidor of Seville created the "T and O" map in the seventh century.
With Jerusalem at its center, these maps divided the globe into three equally spaced regions: Asia, Europe, and Africa.
15points
#9 Cantino Planisphere
The earliest map still in existence, known as the Cantino planisphere or Cantino world map, depicts Portuguese discoveries in the east and west. It was successfully transported from Portugal to Italy in 1502 by the agent for the Duke of Ferrara, Alberto Cantino, who bears his name. Along with showing Africa, Europe, and Asia, it also depicts the Caribbean islands and what appears to be the Florida shoreline. The map is particularly noteworthy for depicting a sketchy record of the Brazilian coast, which Portuguese explorer Pedro lvares Cabral discovered in 1500.
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13points
#10 Theatrum Orbis Terrarum By Abraham Ortelius
The first authentic modern atlas is thought to be the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, also known as "Theatre of the World." It was created by Abraham Ortelius and first published on May 20, 1570, in Antwerp. It was made up of a number of homogeneous map sheets and supporting texts that were bonded together and printed using copper printing plates that were specially engraved. Some people refer to the Ortelius atlas as a compendium of sixteenth-century mapping. Many of the maps in his atlas were derived from sources that are either extinct or very uncommon.
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13points
What is the Oldest Surviving Map of the Earth?
The oldest surviving items always bring a dash of awe to our faces. That’s even more the case with old cartography things, which are incredibly fragile. Which brings us to the question— what’s the oldest surviving map of the Earth?
It is from ancient Babylon, a city from over 2,500 years ago. The Imago Mundi (Babylonian Map of the World) was made around the 6th century BCE. Even though it might look a bit basic compared to maps today, it's still extraordinary to see how people before our time viewed the world.
#11 "Kunyu Wanguo Quantu" By Matteo Ricci
Kunyu Wanguo Quantu, printed by Italian Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci at the request by Wanli Emperor in 1602, is the first known European-styled Chinese world map (and the first Chinese map to show the Americas). The map is written in Classical Chinese and includes extensive annotations and descriptions of different geographical areas as well as a brief history of the discovery of the Americas, polar projections, a scientific explanation of parallels and meridian lines, and evidence that the Sun is larger than the Moon. Ricci positioned China (also known as "the Middle Kingdom") at the center of the globe in accordance with Chinese cartographic tradition. This map is a crucial indicator of how much Chinese knowledge of the world has grown, as well as a prime illustration of direct cultural fusion between China and Europe. Additionally, it was exported to Japan and Korea.
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13points
#12 Fra Mauro Map
This map was created between 1457 and 1459 by the Venetian monk Fra Mauro. Andrea Bianco, a sailor, and cartographer assisted with the creation of this map, which showcases his in-depth knowledge of the globe.
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12points
#13 Bianco's World Map
Andrea Bianco's atlas of 1436 comprises ten leaves of vellum, measuring 29 cm × 38 cm (11 in × 15 in), in an 18th-century binding. A description of the Rule of Marteloio for resolving the course is included on the first leaf, along with the "circle and square," two tables, and two further diagrams. The eight leaves after that are different navigational maps. The Ptolemaic world map, using Ptolemy's first projection, is included on the final leaf. Some people think that Bianco's maps were the first to accurately depict the Florida coast because a macro-peninsula is connected to a sizable island called Antillia. Additionally, Bianco and Fra Mauro worked together to create the Fra Mauro world map in 1459.
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12points
#14 Juan De La Cosa Map
The sole surviving map created by Juan de la Cosa, a Spanish cartographer, explorer, and conquistador, is the Mappa Mundi from 1500. Juan de la Cosa was born in Santoa in the northern autonomous area of Cantabria. It is the first known example of a European map of the Americas. It is currently housed in Madrid's Museo Naval. Humboldt provides reproductions of it in his Atlas géographique et physical.
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12points
#15 Pietro Coppo Map
One of the final globe maps to show the "Dragon's Tail," the final remnant of Ptolemy's landlocked representation of the Indian Ocean from over 1,500 years earlier, reaching southward from Asia's extreme easternmost point.
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12points
What is the Oldest Surviving City Map?
The oldest surviving city map takes us way back in time to ancient Mesopotamia, around 1400 BCE. Archeology unearths many ancient wonders, but perhaps one of the most important things found was a simple clay tablet. It shows the city of Nippur, one of the most essential cities in Babylonia. This ancient world map gave us a rare peek into what cities looked like thousands of years ago, and helped us understand the society of Babylonia.
#16 Hendrik Hondius Map
Hendrik Hondius drew the world map Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula in 1630, and the atlas Atlantis Maioris Appendix included it in Amsterdam the following year. There are pictures of the four elements: fire, air, water, and land. Julius Caesar, Claudius Ptolemy, and the atlas's first two publishers, Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius, Hendrik's father, are all depicted on the atlas' four corners.
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12points
#17 Nicolaes Visscher Map
Nicolaes Visscher produced Orbis Terrarum Nova et Accuratissima Tabula, an etched double hemisphere map, in Amsterdam in 1658. Additionally, it includes scaled-down projections of the north and south poles. The painter Nicolaes Berchem drew four mythical images, one in each corner, to decorate the border, depicting Zeus, Neptune, Persephone, and Demeter. It is a vintage illustration of elaborate Dutch globe maps.
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12points
#18 Bunting Clover Leaf Map
The Bunting Clover Leaf Map, created by Heinrich Bunting in Germany in 1581, is a later Christian map. This map represents the world as an extension of the Christian trinity, with Jerusalem serving as the hub that binds it all together, rather than how it actually is.
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11points
#19 Waldseemüller Map
The map created in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringmann. The small strip of the eastern coast was all that was displayed on this earliest map of the New World, otherwise referred to as "America."
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11points
#20 Turin Papyrus
The Wadi Hammamat gold mine is depicted on the Turin Papyrus (east), which B. Drovetti discovered at Deir el-Medina around 1820 BC (Egypt).
Ancient Egyptian mining chart for Ramesses IV's quarrying expedition, from the 12th century BC, found among Turin Papyrus fragments (New Kingdom)
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11points